Ribbon-vibrating mechanism.



0. THIEME.,

RIBBON VIBRATING MECHANISNI. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18. IgI'L 199mg?? www M. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI' I.

Inma/W 0. THIEME.

RIBBON VIBRATING IVIECHANISIVI.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18 191?.

Patente Feb I2, 191%.

2 S`HEETS-SHEET 2 .30 4chine and the naman arianna rniarr nietA @TTU THIEMEI, F ST. LQUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO MOON -HOlKINS IBLLING MACHINE COMPANY, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOUBL maison-visitarme Mnormnisra.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application led Maly 18, 1917. Serial No. 169,583.

To aZZ whoml t'r' 'may concern:

, Be it known that I, OTTO THIEME, a citizen otlthe United States, residing at the city oiiSt. Louis, State of Missouri, have 5 invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ribbon-Vibrating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and 10- use the same, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. This invention-relates generally to writing machines, and specifically to a ribbon' vibrating mechanism for suoli machinesZ he general object of my invention is to prpvide an improved ribbon vibrating mechanism designed-fora visible or front strike machine and arranged for operation in con- '20 junction with type'bar mechanism of a sort commonly employed in type bar machines,

and also with number listing mechanism of a type employed in a computing machine of i t e sort disclosed in my copending application, Serial Number 112,534, iled August l.,

Provision therefore, is made for vibration of the rib on to and from the printing line upon the printing operation of either mechanism, anda means for changing the ribbon vibrating operation so that the printing may be done selectively yfrom either color zone of a bichrome ribbon.

in the accompanying drawings, l have shown for the purpose of illustrating my inau vention, oneeinbodiment thereof-` i i Figure 1 being a perspective view of' the sameI Fig.. 2 a detail of a fragmentary Jrront view showing1 association of the ribbon vibrators a5 end the printing devices;

Fig. 3 a`view' in the nature of a longitudinal vertical section through the machine showing various of the parts in elevation and bt ers in sectional elevation.

an Referring rst to Fig. 8, it willV be ob- ,served that spool shafts are journaled in :brackets 91, one at each side of the machine, said shafts being vertically disposed and having theirupper extremities extending t5; above the cover plate of the machine, where they support the spools 94: at a level slightly elow the printing line. The ribbon 95 passes from one spool to the other along the front of the paper carriage just below the printing line, being operatively engaged by 60 vibrating guides 96,- one at each side of the printing area. These vibrating guides are carried on slideways 97 which are supported on the frame cover plate, the connection beA- ing such that the guides have vertical slid- 65 ing movement thereon. Dependingbracket members 98 afford supports for the pivotal mounting of the vibrating levers 99 and 99'; the former having slot and pin connection with the left hand vibrating guide 96, and 7.0 the latter having slot and pin connection with the right hand guide 96. he mounting of the vibrating levers on the brackets 98 is also by means of a slot and pin connection., s o that'the levers may be shifted -longi- 75 n plate 10:2 is longitudinally shiftable by opere s hown at 10i, and which is connected by a 85 link to a bell lever 106 pivoted at 106a and having its other arm connected to the cam plate 102. The cam plate is provided with a diagonally inclined cam slot 107 in which operates a pin 108 carried byshift- 90 l able link 100. u

102 upon operation of ribbon shift key lever 95 i 104, will move shiftable links 100 and 101 longitudinally so as to shorten the power arms of vibrating levers 99 and 99. The power arm of vibrating lever 99 is under control of a crank 111 carried on a shaft 112 100 is` rocked by a connecting rod 114. Similarly the power arm of vibrating arm 99 is controlled by crank 115 carried on a shaft'llG which is rocked by the connecting rod 117 105 In Fig. 3, I have shown in dot vand dash lines elevational outlines of the typewriter printing bars, which are designated by the numeral 16, and of the type bars of the computing mechanism which are designated by the numeral X3". Both are shown in their retracted or inoperative positions, and it will be understood that as actuated, they will be moved into effective cooperation with the.

ribbon at the front of the platen.

In Fig. 2, I have shown in dot and dash outline the vlocation of the type carrying members ofthe computing machine, and also the type bar guide 73 which stands below and at the position of the printing point of the typewriting mechanism.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it Willbe observed that connecting rods 111 and 117 are actuated for longitudinal reciprocation by movement of a sleeve 11S, to which con` necting rods 111 and 117 are connected respectively by crank arms 119 and 120. This sleeve 118 is arranged to be rocked on its -axis by virtue of its connectionthrough crank arm 121, and link 122 with print control lever X49 of the Computing machine. By virtue of the connections as described in my copending application abovereferred to, this print control lever X governs the operation of the printing hammers which effect the printing from the number type of the computing machine. For the purpose of the present explanation, it is 'sullicient to state ,that this print control lever X, which is pivoted at X5", and held under tension by the spring X52, is rocked by the influence of said spring at every printing operation of the computing machine. It will be seen that in this rocking` operation the lower end of lever X4 is swung rearwardly, or to the left, as illustrated in Fig. 3. At such times as no printing is to be cll'cctedfrom the computing machine number types, as when items are simply accumula-ted and not listed, this lever remains stationary. As a consequence, upon every printing operatiolLof the computing mechanism, sleeve 11S will be rocked, and, by virtue of the operating connections just above described, both of the vibrating guides 9G will be raised to carry to the printing line to receive the impact o the type. This raising` ot' a considerably longer extent ot' the ribbon is necessary when the computing mac line printing mechanism is operated, by virtue of the fact that the printing members of the computing machine comprehend a considerhble longitudinal extent of the ribbon, the extent depending, of course, upon orders` for which the machine is equipped. In `the operation ol the typewriting mechanism, however, raising of this considerable extent of ribbon is not necessary, as but a single letter is printed at a time, nor is the raising of this considerable extent of ribbon desirable in the operation of the typewriter, for the reason that it would make the operating touch heavier. Accordingly, the vibration of the ribbon upon operation of the typewriting mechanism is accomplished the ribbon f the type bars, any suitable locking device the number ol tlenoin-inational through the instrumentality.. of the connection between shaft 116 and rock shaft 68 formed by crank 121, thrust link 125 and arm 126. It will be recalled that the rock shaft 08 is rocked through its connection with the universal bar 112 upon operation of any type bar, and, as shaft i only upon vibrating lever 99'., only the right hand vibrating guide 96 operation of the typewriter printing mechanism. Aswill be seen in Fig. -2,the printing point of the typewriting mechanism is adjacent to the right hand vibrating guide 96, so that the movement of the single guide elevates enough of the ribbon to effect the printing from the type bar.

, I have explained above'how the power arms of levers 99 and 99 are shortened by the shifting of camplate 102. Inasmuch as the arC of movement of cranks 111 and 115 is always the same, a shortening of the power arms on the vibrating levers will result in their weightarms being given an increased extent of movement. Hence, when printing from the upper zone of a bichrome ribbon, the levers 99 and '99 will be in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1, whereas when it is desired to print from the 116 is effective.

will be raised upon e lower-color zone of a bichrome ribbon, said zone of the ribbon over the printing line in By virtue of thswi the'vibrating operation. mechanism, a single item may be printed in' red by simply holding 101 pending the operation of the numller printing mechanism, and upon the release of the ribbon shifting key, the parts will be restored to normal position for the printspring 1041 which is placed under tension when the ley lever 104 is depressed. For the purpose of enabling printing in red from may be `employed for holding key lever 101 depressed. y

I am aware that the mechanism herein illustrated and described is susceptible of various changes, lions not specifically referred to, but comprehended nevertheless within the spirit of my invention and the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a typewriter, a ribbon-vibrating mechanism including vertically movable ribbon guides, a leverl operably connected with each guide, a rock shaft associated with each lever, means for operating the rock shafts to swing the levers, and key-operated means for varying the length of the power arms of the said levers for the purpose described.

2. In a typewriter, a. ribbon-vibratingA modifications and adaptadown th key lever mg in the customary color'by the reactlon of rately therefrom,

asador? v a;

mechanism intlnding1 a pair of independently movable ribbon guides, a lever for vibrating each guide, a crank member for swinging each lever, means for actuating both of said cranlr Vmenfibers in unison, and means for actuating" one of said crank members independently of the other.

3. ln a typewriting machine, a ribbon; vibrating mechanism including a ribbon guide, a lever for vibrating the guide, a crank for swinging the lever, means for actuating the crank, a shiftable 'plate upon which the lever is fulcrnmed, and means for shifting the plate to vary the operative relationship of the crank and the lever.

4. ln a Writing machine, the combination oi manually operable printing mechanism, number printingl mechanism operable sepaa ribbon coperating with said printing mechanism, friskets for guiding said ribbon, means operable from the manually operable printing mechanism for operating one of said friskets to move the ribbon for coperation with the manually operable printing mechanism, and means operated with the mechanically operable number printing mechanism to operate a plurality of the friskets.

i 5. ln a Writing, machine, the combination of type-carrying members separately operable and arranged to print respectively at di'erent points, a ribbon arranged to serve said typerarrying members, friskets for handling said ribbon, an independently op erable lever associated with each frisket, means associated with one of said typecarrying members for operating one of said levers, and means operably associated with the other of said typecarrymg members 'for operating both of said levers.

a 6. In a Writing machine, the combination of independently operable type-calaying` members arranged to print respectively at dili'erent points', a ribbon arranged to serve both of said printing members, :trislrets arranged to guide said ribbon, means operable with one of said printing members to operate one of said friskets, and means operable With the other of said printing members to operate two of said friskets.

7. ln a Writing machine, the combination of independently operable type-carrying; members arrangedv to print respectively at diderent points, a ribbon arranged to serve both of said printingmembers, friskets arranged to ,guide said ribbon, means operable with one of said printing members to operate one of said 'friskets, and means associated With ythe other ot said printing' members to operate the other of said riskets.

8. ln a writing machine, the combination olf independentl' operable type-carrying mem bers arrange to print respectively at diligenent printing points, a ribbon disposed to serve v both of said type-carrying members, ,guides for said ribbon, means for vibrating said liti till

ribbon for cooperation with both ot said type-carrying members, and means tor vibrating said ribbon for cooperation with one of said type-carrying members. exclusive oil the other.,

ln testimony whereof l hereunto atlix my Signature this 10th day of May, 191'?.

GTT@ THEME. 

